Nolan’s Medical Adventure

If you follow us on Facebook, you saw our 9-hour day spent at various locations of Children’s Hospital. As I think I’ve mentioned around here, Nolan’s linear growth has stopped – and people who specialize in growth aren’t very pleased with his chart since birth. The most benign (and fairly likely) thing we’re looking at is Congenital Growth Delay, in which he’s just a “late bloomer”. It’s not in his genes, but it’s not uncommon. It is, however, a “diagnosis of exclusion” – meaning we have to rule everything else out first, before just waiting to see if he’ll grow.

Through his primary care doctor, he’s had multiple blood tests done and a sweat chloride test, all of which came back normal (enough). We then followed up with Endocrinology, which led to the marathon day this week.

As the test results continue to roll in, there is nothing terribly alarming showing up. The only relatively abnormal thing was his bone age scan, in which his bone growth is more in line with an almost 18-month old, not a 21-month old. That’s a good thing though, meaning he just has room to grow.

The endocrinologist has several things to follow up on though, concerned – as we all have been for most of his life, where “concern” is used loosely – that his GI and Respiratory issues are related to something else inhibiting his growth. We are following up with her in two weeks, and again every six months while we look for anything else that might need addressed.

For now though, this developmentally appropriate little ham that loves puzzles and pancakes –

– cries when food is gone –

– and looks like such a big boy in his crib, pacifier notwithstanding 😉 –